Lightning-rod ornament



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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDRET J. V'ELIN, OF CHICAGO, lLLlNOIS.

LIGHTNING-ROD ORNAMENT.

l SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,021, dated June 14, 1881.

Application filed September 1T, 1880. (No model.)

T all whom tt may concern Be it known that I, ANDREW J. WELIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Lightning Rod Ornaments, which are fully set forth in thefollowing specilication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a plan view of my improved ball for lightning-rods; Fig. 2, a vertical section ofthe same, taken on the linear er, Fig. 1, a portion ofthe rod also being shown, Fig. 3, a plan of lone of the metal plates in which the ends of the wires forming the ball are held; Fig. 4, a section of the same on an enlarged scale, taken on the line y y, Fig. 3, with the end of the rod also shown; and Fig. 5, an elevation of one of the wire rods detached.

My invention relates to globular ornaments for use on lightning-rods. These ornaments have heretofore been made in the form of globes, either solid or hollow, sometimes of wood, gilt or painted, sometimes of metal, gilt, plated, or painted, and sometimes of silvered glass. These ornaments are applied to the rod near the top of the upright section surmounting the building, and usually just below the vane when a vane is used. In order to show as ornaments they must be made of considerable size, and consequently expose considerable surface to wind force, therehyincreasing the resistance which the rod must maintain. The silvered-glass balls which are now quite generally used are also easily broken, and the interior silvering soon becomes blackened more or less by exposure to the weather.

It is the object of my invention to provide a globular ornament in skeleton form which will offer little or no resistance to the wind, which will be cheap and durable, and at the same time highly ornamental in appearance.

rlhe invention consists in an ornament in globular form composed of a series of metallic strips or wires suitably heut, and held in position at their respective ends, and adapted to be slipped upon therod and adjusted thereon.

It also consists in the combination of certain special devices, all of which will be hereinafter fully set forth, and the particular im provements which it is desired to secure by Letters Patentpointedout more definitely in the claims.

In the drawings, A A represent short pieces of metallic wire, preferably steel, bent in circular form, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, so as to make nearly asemicircle.

A metallic plate, B, is constructed of circular form, and concave-convex, being pierced at the center with an opening, I), conforming in size and shape to the lightning-rod. This plate or disk will therefore present an annular appearance, and a series of small holes, b', is provided in the annulus, ruiming entirely around it, arranged as near together as practicable for strength. The inner portion of the annular plateinside ofthe holesisalitt-le above the outer portion outside of the holes, and the inner portion may be corrugated slightly. The outer section is also provided with a series ot' grooves, b2, on its convex surface, and the apertures, instead of going vertically through the plate, are arranged at an angle thereto. The grooves b2 correspond with the apertures b', and on the inside or concave surface of the plate are some grooves or depressions b3 but the ends of the wire rods A are insertedin the apertures b in two respective plates, B, the rods being sprung to insert the ends in the holes in the respective plates. This can be accomplished by bending the rods not quite to the required curve of the finished ornament. It will thus be seen that the ends ot' the rods will [ind a seat both on the convex and concave surface of the respect-ive plates outside and insidel of the holes b', as shown in Fig. 4t of the drawings. The elasticity of the wire rods, tending to throw their ends outward, will hold them securely in place in their respective plates, and there will thus be formed a skeleton-globe, as shown in Fig. l ot' the drawings.

The wire rods may be gilded in the usual way, or they may be plated with silver, nickel, or gold, or may be coated with some kind of durable paint in bright colors.

The plates may be either cast or brass, or may be stamped up from sheet metal and ornamented by gilding, plating, or painting, as may be desired.

. The wire rods may be all of one color or plating, or they may be varied by combining gilt and silver or nickel rods under any arrangement fancied; or any other combination ofcoloring may be taken advantage of in arranging and combining the rods and plates, so that the IOO ball will present a highly-ornamental appearance.

A globular ornament is thus provided which is applied to the lightning-rod C in the usual way, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and thus I obtain an ornament of' globular form like those which have long been in use, but which is a mere skeleton, and therefore offers little or no resistance to the passage of the Wind directly through it, thereby lessening the effect of the latter in bending or breaking the rod. At the same time this ornament will produce as line an artistic effect as any of those heretofore used in which the surface is entire.

I do not con iine myself to the particular form above mentioned, for obviously the Wire may be bent so as to elongate the circular ornament when completed, or contract its length upon the rod, if desired, to form an oblate spheroid. rlhe wire rods may be circular, as shown in the drawings, or they may be metallic strips of some different form, and they may also be arranged as shown, or spirall y, or in some other fanciful ornament, as may be desired.

The ornament thus constructed is cheaply made, easily put together and taken apart, not easily damaged, so that it may be shipped Without extra care in packing, and, in fact,

may be shipped either set up or in pieces, as any one can readily put the bent stri ps or rods in place. A

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A lightning-rod, C, in combination with a skeleton ornament composed of bent metallic strips or rods attached at their respective ends to collars, with central openings adapted to receive the rod, whereby the ornament may be slipped onto the rod and adjusted thereon, substantially as described.

2. ln a lightning-rod ornament, the rods or strips A A, bent in circular form, in combination with the fastening-plates, pierced to receive the respective ends ofthe rods, substantially as described.

3. ln a lightning-rod ornament, the bent rods or strips A A, in combination with the fastening-plates B, provided with the center opening, b, a series of side apertures, 11', and the exterior and interior grooves or recesses, b`Z b3, substantially as described.

ANDREV J. WELIN.

Witnesses ALIcE HoLLrs'rnR, J No. C. MACGREGOR. 

